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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · lean · cue · coach · face · toast · present · date

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — to confront
  10. date — the fruit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — a gift
  14. cue — a signal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — to point toward
  19. present — there
  20. toast — bread
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com